Masquerade
by Believe the Lie
Summary: Alone at the Yule Ball, Ginny has encountered the perfect stranger. Face shielded by a mask, Ginny if left to guess her partner's identity before the night comes to an end. When the mask is removed, her partner is not who she expected... Femmeslash.
1. Ginny's POV

**Setting:** in Harry's sixth year, but does not follow the plot of HBP (Ginny never dated Harry). With December comes the notorious Yule Ball...

Warnings: Two girls kissing and a touch of bad language

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything you might recognize in this story. Also, Harry is free to go about the girls' dormitories as he pleases.

* * *

"_Masquerade!_ Seething shadows, breathing lies. _Masquerade!_ You can fool any friend whoever knew you." - _Phantom of the Opera_

_

* * *

_

"Ginny, for the five-hundredth time: you are _going_ to be late!"

She shrugged, not really caring about the time and continued to apply her makeup, her face only inches away from the mirror that stood a few feet away from Hermione's bed. "Why should I care about being late, it's not like anyone's waiting for me," she said with a snort as she lined her lips with a brilliantly red shade of lipstick.

Hermione rolled her eyes and stood up, carefully turning over the book she had been reading and inserted a sheet of paper in between its pages in order to mark her place. Half a dozen textbooks from assorted classes, crumpled up bits of parchment, broken quills and empty inkbottles lay all over her bed, upset from their previous location: Hermione's desk which now held every makeup accessory known to man. She glanced at her watch and urged Ginny to leave once again, noting that she was currently fifteen minutes late.

Ginny shook her head and groaned, "I'm leaving, ok?" She fussed with the translucent scarf that hung over her shoulders for a moment before asking, "Alright, how do I look?"

Hermione contemplated her answer for a moment before letting out an exasperated sigh. "You look fine," she said bluntly without really looking over Ginny's clothes at all. She donned an elaborate-looking mask covered in gold sparkles and sequins to accent her scarlet dress, making her outfit truly flaunt the brilliance of the Gryffindor colors. "Now, leave!" Hermione said, ushering Ginny by the arm to the door of her room.

The door swung open at that second to reveal Harry, standing in the doorway looking perplexed, one arm in the air as if he was just about to knock on the door. "Er, hi?" Draped over his other arm was a garment bag which he nervously tried to hide as soon as he saw Ginny curiously peaking around the half-open door.

"Harry!" Ginny exclaimed, quickly wrapping her scarf a little tighter around her shoulders just as a lovely shade of red began to settle into her cheeks. "I was just going-" she managed to stammer out before bolting from the room as quickly as possible.

Halfway down the stairs, she turned back to see Hermione viciously yank Harry into her room and slam the door behind him. She paused, curious of what was happening behind the closed door. A loud thump resounded against the door's thin wooden form and Ginny could make out a faint, yet passionate, "Oh, _Harry_!"

_Wonderful_, she thought bitterly as she turned to head down the stairs, _my friend and my crush decided to get me out of the way so they could screw each other._ She shook her head in disgust as she climbed through the portrait hole, _it can't get much better than this..._

* * *

Ginny's gaze drifted to the dance floor where couples twirled around in perfect unison, becoming lost in a sea of swirling colors and expensive formal wear. She envied them. Each girl dancing out on the floor in the arms of their lover. _And yet, not one person has asked me to dance yet_, Ginny scoffed as she toyed with one of the many frills that lined her dress. She did not notice the person standing a bit to her left, arm outstretched until they beckoned to her, "May I have this dance, Ginny Weasley?"

She tore her gaze away from the dance floor and her eyes wandered across the person standing before her, taking in every aspect of his appearance. He wore a rather thin, plain white mask that covered every distinguishing part of his face stopping just above his upper lip. Although his hair seemed long, it was slicked down and pulled back into a ponytail which was tied with a bit of black ribbon at the bottom of his neck. Black gloves graced his hands and he wore equally pitch black dress robes which proved a stark contrast to the mask he wore as well as his pale complexion. He was, by Ginny's standards, devastatingly handsome.

Ginny answered him by accepting his hand and allowing herself to be guided to the middle of the dance floor where much fewer couples stood. He rested a hand on her waist and the other clasped one of her shoulders gently. Ginny relaxed into his grip and leaned her head on his shoulder, taking in his scent as they moved together in a slow waltz, bodies moving as one to the tune of an unfamiliar song. "You know who _I_ am," Ginny said, picking her head up to meet his eyes as the song began to reach its end, "but who are _you_?"

The two walked away from the torrent of dancers towards the side of the dance floor to wait out the break between songs. He smiled brightly as he trailed his hand from her shoulder to a position halfway down her arm, "That I cannot say." The smile that had been making its way across her face dropped slightly. "However, I can tell you this:" He took a step back away from Ginny and placed both of his hands on her shoulders, "I've charmed my voice to make it sound this way. This is not how I would normally sound to you."

The last part struck Ginny with a sense of familiarity. _Do I speak to him often? Is that why he said that?_ If the voice was not his, then maybe his clothing would give him away. She ran her eyes up and down his form as he regarded her with a smile, knowing he had the upper hand in this situation. His flowing black dress robes reminded Ginny of Harry's, in fact, they were almost exactly like Harry's which intrigued her. _Harry kept making excuses for why he couldn't come to the ball tonight, maybe he was nervous...but why would he disguise himself like this?_ "So how am I supposed to figure out who you are?" she questioned after she realized that all boys looked the same in formal wear.

He laughed, "I cannot say that either, but when the time comes, I think you'll be able to figure it out for yourself." Seeing Ginny's puzzled expression, he sighed and added, "You can ask me anything you'd like about who I am, except my name." The music began to start up again; this time it was a vigorous tango with an upbeat tempo that discouraged most of the inexperienced dancers away from the floor. He smiled widely and grasped Ginny's gloved hand gently in his own, "But for now: we dance."

Ginny returned his smile and snaked an arm around his waist as he pulled her into a very passionate dance. "So, what house are you in?" she asked as she gripped his waist a little tighter, moving their bodies together gracefully with the music. Surprisingly, he did nothing to resist and allowed her to lead the dance, resting a single hand delicately on her shoulder.

He nodded his head to the side and looked her in the eyes. "Gryffindor, of course," he said as though it was obvious. He effortlessly moved his hand from her shoulder to her back, taking the lead as he carefully dipped her back. Her long red hair brushed against the floor and Ginny smiled as he pulled her back quickly, feeling safe in his arms.

"Of course," she said skeptically, though part of her agreed. _If he _is_ Harry_... She thought for a moment, and then asked, "Do I have any classes with you?"

He shrugged and returned his hand to Ginny's shoulder, allowing her to take the lead again, "Not really, I'm not even in your year." With a quick spin, he allowed Ginny to dip him backwards. He shook his head and blinked after Ginny pulled him back up and sent her a reassuring smile. He leaned in close to her ear and whispered just loud enough to hear over the music, "I like you." Ginny blushed and smiled back at him. _I can't believe this, I'm falling for him and I've never even seen his face._

The music died down leaving the two breathing heavily in the center of the dance floor. He offered her his arm, "Miss Weasley?" She gratefully accepted his arm by intertwining hers with his as they walked slowly away from the music and towards the windows, desperate for fresh air. He turned to her and asked cordially, "Before the night is over, would you be so kind as to honor me with one more dance?"

"It would be my pleasure," Ginny said and offered a small curtsy. "Not now though, it's like a thousand degrees in here..." she said as she walked away from him and towards the doors to the courtyard outside the Hall. He waited until her back was turned to smile broadly as he walked swiftly behind her, taking huge steps to keep up with her pace.

* * *

"Dean?"

"No."

"Seamus?"

He sighed and shook his head yet again, "No. Come on, Gin, you'll never guess who I am by picking random names."

Ginny considered for a moment before asking incredulously, "Neville?"

He shrugged and stood up, pointing through the window that separated the Great Hall from the outside patio where they sat, "_That's _Neville." He took her by the hand, urging her to stand up from her seat. A smile played gracefully on his face as he began swaying back and forth with her in an impromptu slow dance. "Ask some more questions," he stated simply as he took her hand and twirled her around.

Ginny sighed, her patience slowly deteriorating. They had been outside for at least half an hour and she was no closer to determining her mysterious dance partner's identity than she had been when she first met him. She had named most of the boys in Gryffindor from Harry's year and some of the seventh years as well. _He's so charming and handsome and graceful and... there's no way he can be Harry,_ Ginny found herself thinking with a surge of relief mixed with a twinge of regret. _He's like no boy I've ever met_... Still, she had to be sure. "Are you good friends with Ron?" she asked, relaxing into his embrace.

He cringed slightly and moved one of his hands to pull a stray hair back behind Ginny's ear. "Most of the time, we're pretty good friends. Sometimes I hate his guts though," he admitted truthfully. _Ok, that could be _anyone.

Thinking about the events that had taken place earlier that evening, she said on a whim, "Are you close to Hermione?"

He flinched and for the first time that evening, began to lose his composure. "I...uh, that's kind of hard to answer..." he stuttered out, trying to find the right words.

Ginny smirked, happy with the reaction that her words elicited. "Right," _it _would _be difficult to answer if you were banging her behind my back_, she thought bitterly. She pulled away from his embrace and turned to face him, surveying his features once again in a desperate attempt to identify him as Harry. Seeing nothing particularly distinguishing and no lightening bolt scar, she let out a long breath and settled on his eyes which were barely visible beneath the mask. "I give up," she said, letting her shoulders sag in defeat. _I can't think of any more questions, I have no idea who he is or even how the hell I'll figure out_-

Her train of thought was stopped abruptly when she felt a hand running along her shoulder, gradually finding its way down her arm. She shivered and looked at the long, slender fingers making their way across her bare skin. The gloves that had been covering these hands had been discarded on the ground before her. Ginny's gaze drifted to the white mask that covered her partner's face.

She carefully removed her own mask and then reached over with a single hand to do the same for her partner. His hand caught hers inches from his face. "It's charmed," he said very softly, staring into her eyes intently. "It won't come off unless you speak my name." The air between the two was thick with tension and anticipation as both students eagerly awaited the other's next move.

Ginny stared at the mask for a moment, trying to get a clear view of his eyes. Her eyes fell instead on his uncovered lips and suddenly she knew how to identify the person hiding behind the mask. She slipped her hands out of her gloves, adding them to the pair of black gloves that already lay on the floor. She could feel his arm snaking around her waist and she responded by bringing a hand to his face to graze his cheek. Her partner shuddered audibly under her touch and she smiled coyly, allowing her fingers to trace his lips provocatively. He leaned his head to the side and removed her hand, clasping it tightly in his. Ginny closed the gap between them by brushing her lips against her companion's in a brief, chaste kiss. He smiled slightly and moved his free hand to the back of Ginny's neck before enveloping her in a passionate kiss. Ginny responded by gliding her tongue delicately along her partner's closed lips, begging entrance into their mouth. Her partner happily obliged, allowing her tongue to roam the inside of his mouth. A small moan escaped from the lips of one of the students, but Ginny was not entirely sure who was responsible for it.

The kiss became a hungry plea for both of them, eager to feel and taste as much of the other as was possible. Hands began to roam freely, each student allowing their hands to run through the other's hair and down their back. Ginny shivered again before forcing herself to relax beneath the other student's touch, losing herself in the serenity that it produced. The scent of her partner's perfume, the taste of their lips, the soft and gentle touch brought realization crashing down on Ginny before she had time to comprehend it completely. Ginny broke away, panting as she collected herself from the pure ecstasy she had just experienced, her face directed at the floor.

She moved back and looked up, needing no more time to think about her partner's identity. "Hermione," she said breathlessly.

Sure enough, the mask dropped from the older girl's face, landing neatly in her outstretched hands. Her hair that had been tied back loosened from the grip of the charm and restored itself to the frizzy, unkempt hair that Ginny was so familiar with. Hermione took a step back and bit her lip, unsure of what to expect from Ginny.

The younger girl just smiled and whispered into Hermione's ear, "I like you, too." Hermione grinned back at her childishly, marveling at how successful her plan had been. "Whatcha going to do about it," she said, leaning close to the older girl's lips, daring her to make a move.

Hermione took the smirk off of Ginny's face in one sweeping motion, capturing the other girl's lips delicately with her own. The two girls broke apart only when breathing became an absolute necessity. Ginny looked up and met Hermione's eyes, trying to place her reaction. The older girl winked took a step backwards, never letting go of Ginny's arms. Ginny laughed as she looked over Hermione's clothing a final time, "You know, you look absolutely ravishing in those dress robes."

Hermione chuckled, "I'll be sure to tell Harry you said so." She tugged at the younger girl, urging her to follow as she made her way to the center of the courtyard. Hermione wrapped both of her arms around Ginny's waist and let them rest loosely as she moved their bodies together to the steady rhythm of the music. Ginny looked at her quizzically, but Hermione just smiled. "You promised me one last dance," she whispered. Ginny nodded and leaned her head against Hermione's shoulder as they rocked back and forth to the distant pounding of a slow rock song. For the first time over the course of the evening, Ginny Weasley was blissfully content in the arms of a beautiful girl.

* * *

A/N: Happy New Year!! For those who didn't see that coming, I _warned _you! Heh heh heh. Hope you enjoyed it. The pronouns put me through hell, though. So, do you think I should make this a twoshot and do Hermione's POV in the next chapter?

If you liked it, feel free to say so in a review. I'm a review junkie.


	2. Hermione's POV

A/N: Happy Valentine's Day!!! I honestly didn't think that this story would receive 14 reviews for a single chapter. Damn. You guys spoil me. ; )

**Setting:** Mostly simultaneous with the previous chapter. The first part is a missing scene. **This is NOT a sequel.**

Disclaimer: I do not claim to own, nor am I making any profit whatsoever from this twoshot. And I sort of stole/mutilated _Avenue Q, __Rent, Spring Awakening_ lyircs... I'll give you a cookie if you can find 'em. They're like short little blurbs from songs. Good luck...

* * *

"_Masquerade!_ Paper faces on parade. _Masquerade!_ Hide your face so the world will never find you."- _Phantom of the Opera_

* * *

(_Right after Ginny walks out of Hermione's dormitory_...) 

Hermione grabbed Harry by the shoulder and pulled him into the room quickly and slammed the door. "Harry, could you have procrastinated any longer?" she asked sarcastically with an exasperated sigh once she was sure that Ginny had retreated far enough down the staircase.

"I had to make sure she was gone," he reasoned, taking another step into the room. "Wouldn't want her figuring you out before you had the chance to disguise yourself, would you?"

"Ah, so that's why you chose to walk in just as she was leaving, was it?" Hermione said without much enthusiasm as he wore down whatever was left of her patience.

Harry rolled his eyes, "Give me a break, ok? I was getting impatient."

She shook her head, knowingly, and berated herself for leaving such a crucial part of her plan up to a _man_. "Alright, is that what I think it is?" she asked, motioning to the parcel in Harry's arms.

Harry nodded and peeled back the canvas in his arms to reveal the garment: a pristine set of jet black dress robes, neatly pressed and looking as if they hadn't been worn more than twice since Harry purchased them.

"Oh, wow, they're _beautiful_," she said as he laid the robes gently on her bed.

Harry crossed the room back to where Hermione was standing, "Do I get a 'thank you'?"

In that instant, Hermione lept at him, crushing him in a violent hug that pinned his body against the door with a loud 'thud.' "Oh, _Harry_," she said into the collar of his shirt, "thank you _so _much!"

"Whoa, _Hermione_," Harry said, pushing her away, body still strongly pinned against the closed door by the arms that rested on his shoulders. "That was slightly tactless, not that I _mind_, of course," he said suggestively with a cocky grin.

Hermione took a step back from him, at a loss for words. "I--...er, _what_?"

He reveled in her stunned expression and took her momentary silence as a sign to continue speaking, "As flattered as I am by your _advance_, I fear that I might have the misfortune of making your girlfriend a little..._jealous_."

The last words he spoke were enough to pull her out of her dazed confusion. "Just because _you're_ jealous about losing her to a _girl _doesn't mean you're allowed to take it out on me," Hermione said, huffing. "Not as if you ever had a chance with her, _anyway_, I might add..." He rolled his eyes and shook his head, shrugging his shoulders in defeat. "And she is_ not_ my girlfriend..." Hermione said with mock contempt and snatched the dress robes mercilessly from her bed, "...yet." She threw an exaggerated grin in his direction before promptly slamming the door in his face.

She undressed and dressed quickly, only to be slowed for a moment as she determined how exactly to wear the cummerbund. She draped an untied bow-tie around her neck and buttoned up the white dress shirt the rest of the way. She took a moment to examine herself in the mirror before nodding her approval. _Alright, now the easy part..._ Hermione let out a long breath and picked her wand up off of the shelf above the sink. She quickly recited a spell she had practiced many times before, taming her wild hair into a slick pony-tail that rested just above the collar of her shirt. Her mask lay on the sink in front of her, boring holes in her with its lifeless gaze. She picked it up and held it inches from her face, admiring her reflection in the mirror for a moment before returning it to its place.

As she was putting the finishing touches on her appearance, Hermione beckoned from the other side of the bathroom door, "You never explained what's keeping you from going to the ball tonight. You'd better have a good reason... because the last time I checked, you were still the most popular boy in school."

"As a matter of fact, I have a detention to serve with Snape this evening," Harry said loudly through the bathroom door to ensure that Hermione heard him. "He's making me clean out all of the toilets on the fifth floor, can you _believe_ that? On the night of the Yule Ball, no less," he sighed and leaned heavily against the wall next to the door.

Moments later, Hermione emerged from the bathroom clad in Harry's dress robes with the jacket draped loosely over her arm. In her other hand, she held the mask which dangled on the tip of two of her fingers. "Well, I certainly hope that's _all _you'll be doing with him," she said in a suggestive tone, waggling her eyebrows conspicuously.

"Why does eveyone seem to think that I'm attracted to him?" Harry half-shouted at Hermione who was trying in vain to hold back her laughter with the side of her hand. "Have I not made it absolutely clear that I _hate_ that man?"

Hermione chuckled, "Well, Harry, as I'm sure you know, there's a fine line between love and hate..." She unfolded her jacket and whipped it around her shoulders with precision and gently slid her arms into the sleeves. She quickly adjusted the collar, smoothing out the fabric around her shoulders.

"Yeah, well, the line between a lover and a friend is just as fine," Harry said defensively.

"Touche," Hermione said, relenting. She fell silent for a moment, focusing her gaze on the mask in her hands, turning it over again and again as she considered what she was about to do. She looked up at Harry and said very softly, "I really don't want to fuck this up."

Harry moved closer to her, allowing his hand to graze her arm. Their eyes locked and she could feel the warmth in Harry's expression begin to penetrate her doubts. "You're going to do fine," he said quietly, holding her shoulder with a reasuring grip. He smiled a little, "You're the brightest person I know, if there's anything you can handle, it's certainly a school dance."

She nodded, "Yeah...yeah, I know." _God, I picked a hell of a time to start having second thoughts..._

"C'mere, let me fix your tie," Harry said, moving closer to her as he deftly tied the bow tie in a few swift movements. He laid both of his hands on her shoulders and gaver her a brief once-over, eyeing her appearance as many of the dancers would later that evening. "You're very handsome," he said finally with a cautious grin toying at the edge of his lips.

"As flattered as I am by _your_ advance, Mr. Potter, I must say that my heart belongs to another," she said with mock formality as she took a final look at herself in the mirror. He laughed at the irony in her statement and proceeded towards the door. "Where are you going?"

"Though I'd much rather stay with you, I _do_ have other matters that require my attention this evening," Harry said as he opened the door.

"Ah, yes," Hermione said, realizing. "Well, give my regards to Sevvie, will you?"

A cross between extreme distaste and astonishment appeared on Harry's face, making him look as though he had just ingested a mouthfull of the worst Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans. "Urgh, Hermione, I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," he said and left the door open behind him. Hermione smiled as she listened to him rant on his way down the stairs, catching phrases like, "Scarred for life" and "The _nerve_ of that woman!"

She took a deep breath and faced the mirror again, this time to add the final element of her elaborate disguise. Hermione cradled the mask in her hands in the same way that a child might hold an injured animal. Carefully, she raised the thick white plastic material to her face and spoke the two words that would bind it to her features for the duration of the night. _Well, unless she speaks my name..._ Hermione took pleasure in this fact, knowing that she always had an easy way out if Ginny failed to guess correctly. _But somehow I really don't think that will happen._

Picking up her wand a final time, she drew the tip to her throat and muttered a spell that would drop her voice an octave below her normal speech. "Excellent," she said clearly to test her voice which now sounded unmistakably masculine. Hermione smoothed her disguise down to the hem of the robes one final time before saying to herself defiantly, "I think I'm going to be able to pull this off." She grabbed the pair of black gloves off of her dresser before exiting the room with a spring in her step.

* * *

She stood directly between the open doors of the Great Hall for several minutes, taking in the scene before her. Dancers glided gracefully across the dance floor, boys in tuxedo-like robes spinning girls clad in outrageously poofy gowns. She needed only scan the room once before she spotted Ginny, sitting alone at a table watching the other students with a wistful expression on her face. Good, I don't have to go pry her away from some boy's arms in order to dance with her. She walked slowly over to where Ginny was sitting, trying desperately to tone out the sensible voices in the back of her mind persistently warning her that this was a very, very bad idea. 

From a safe distance, she took in Ginny's appearence, noting how the neckline of her dress dipped dangerously low for the Hogwarts dress code. I_ didn't have the chance to tell her how breathtakingly amazing she looked in that dress_, she thought, making a note to mention it to the younger girl later that evening.

Taking a few deep, restrained breaths, Hermione advanced the rest of the way to where Ginny was sitting, still mesmerized by the dancers before her. Her outstretched hand seemed to spur Ginny away from her intent concentration and Hermione found her voice, "May I have this dance, Ginny Weasley?"

The warm smile that appeared upon the younger girl's face was enough to banish whatever regrets that might have lingered in Hermione's mind.

After the first dance was over, she was glad to have avoided as many of Ginny's questions as possible without giving too much information away. _I hate to lie to her, so I won't_, Hermione reasoned early on in the conversation. "You can ask me anything you'd like about who I am, except my name," Hermione said to clarify what she had said earlier. The music picked up and developed strongly into a intense tango, discouraging many of the students away from the dance floor and towards the punch bowl to mingle. Hermione, however, saw this as yet another opportunity to charm Ginny.

_Oh, crap...who leads?_ A wave of shock passed over her as the question developed in her mind. _I'm technically the man, so wait...where do I put my hand?_ Her shock subsided as Ginny's hand found its way to Hermione's waist and she allowed the younger girl to lead the dance. _This is very unorthodox_, she could not help but think with a smile as Ginny led her in a furious tango across the better part of the dance floor, wooing onlookers as well as a handfull of amused teachers.

By the time the tango was through, the music shifted to an upbeat pop tune that did not thrill Hermione at all. "Ms. Weasley," Hermione beckonned with an outstretched arm, attempting to restore some sense of formality to her persona. Ginny cordially accepted and allowed Hermione to escort her from the dance floor. _If she gets me talking right now, I could really blow this_, she thought without much enthusiasm. "Before the night is over, would you be so kind as to honor me with one more dance," she asked hopefully, wishing to every muggle god she'd ever heard of: please do not let me screw this up.

"It would be my pleasure," Ginny said with equal formality, causing Hermione to supress a giggle. _It's so unlike her, this formal, courteous person that she becomes when she's dressed in fancy clothes. Then again, I'm doing the exact same thing_... "Not right now though, it's like a thousand degrees in here."

Hermione nodded and waited until Ginny had advanced a good three meters in front of her before allowing herself to smile broadly, relishing in the success of her plan.

* * *

Hermione watched Ginny with bated breath as she removed the mask that covered her face. It seemed as if she had been standing in this courtyard for hours rather than minutes, talking, laughing and trying to avoid Ginny's prying questions to the best of her ability. Her breathing hitched as Ginny's features were revealed from behind her mask, _she is _so_ beautiful_. Her reverie was broken only when Ginny's hand reached for her own mask, threatening to remove it from Hermione's face. "It's charmed," she breathed, marveling at her ability to form coherent speech. "It won't come off unless you speak my name." 

The sound of Ginny's hands escaping from her velvet gloves broke the silence between them. Hermione drew her hand slowly to Ginny's waist, no longer able to restrain her need to touch, _to kiss_, to hold the other girl in her arms. What she did not anticipate was Ginny's hand upon her cheek, gently grazing the skin. She gasped at the soft touch, marveling at how delicately her fingertips played upon her skin and found their way to her lips._ She's such a tease! If she doesn't kiss me right now..._ She grinned and leaned her head to the side, removing Ginny's hand from her lips as she did so. Ginny took the invitation and placed a small, chaste kiss on Hermione's lips.

The last coherent thought that passed through her mind was '_finally_!' Sensing that she had succeeded in winning Ginny's affections, Hermione placed a hand at the back of her partner's neck and captured her lips, releasing the years of pent up emotions and longing with a single, passionate kiss. She moaned as Ginny's tongue slipped past her lips and fought for dominance, the two girls longing for dominance over the other. Hands traveled down her back, causing Hermione to shiver pleasantly as she relaxed, becoming well-acquainted with the serene touch that Ginny's soft fingertips produced. Suddenly, Ginny pulled away, looking utterly shocked. Here it comes...

Panting heavily, Ginny collected herself enough to force out a single word, "Hermione." The way she spoke it was enough to assuage Hermione's doubts. It was only one word, but spoken with such conviction and calmness, it almost sounded as if Ginny had known Hermione's identity all along. _Yes, but that doesn't mean that she feels the way that I do._ The mask fell from her face and landed like a lead weight in her outstetched hands. She stared at it for a moment, and then looked at Ginny with anticipation, dreading and longing her reaction at the same time.

Ginny smiled and Hermione's heart leapt into her throat as the younger girl whispered seductively, "I like you, too. Whatcha gonna do about it?"

_Oh, I can think of a few things_, she thought as a sly grin crossed her face. In a single sweeping motion, the smirk was wiped clean from Ginny's face and replaced with a look of pure ecstacy as Hermione captured the younger girl's lips again.

As they broke away from each other, Hermione could not help but smile as Ginny gave her a once-over for the third time that night. "You know, you look absolutely ravishing in those dress robes," she said, laughing.

Hermione nodded curtly and said with a smile, "I'll be sure to tell Harry you said so." And she would. But for now, the focus was Ginny. _Oh, I like this song_, she thought as a familiar rock tune began to fill the Great Hall, muted slightly by the thick glass that separated them from the interior of the school. Her arms found their way around Ginny's slender waist and rested there limply as she began to sway both of their bodies back and forth to the rhythm of the music. Catching Ginny's confused gaze, Hermione stated simply, "You promised me one last dance." Ginny smiled and nodded, resting her head against Hermione's shoulder as the two danced to the steady beat of the music. For the first time in her life, Hermione was blissfully content in the arms of a beautiful girl.

* * *

A/N: Any discrepancies/contradictions in this chapter are the result of my inherent stupidity and I take the blame for them in advance, though I do not anticipate any problems. Oh, and pardon my plot summary throughout the story, but I really didn't want to write every single scrap of dialogue and description over again. I really rushed this last chapter because five hours of staring at a computer screen will do that to me sometimes. So it could've been better, but it's not. Plus it's like 10:30 on a school night and I haven't done chem homework yet (and probably won't at this rate)... 

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is "Masquerade". I hope you've enjoyed it because I thoroughly enjoyed writing it.


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